A new church AND a new parish - Priests of the Sacred Heart

February, 2010, Vol. 31, No. 16SCJ NEWSSCJNEWSBishop Michael Wustenberg presents the newly ordained SCJ priests.“God is very good to us”-Fr. Peter Surdel, provincial superior of South AfricaOn Saturday, December 19, theSouth African Province celebratedthe ordination of twoSCJs to the priesthood. Frs. NtsikeleloBambatha and Joshua Morosi Mpiti arethe first men to be ordained for theSouth African Province since 2002.Both are 28 years old.Over 600 people took part in theordination, which was held at Fr.Ntsikelelo's home parish of theImmaculate Conception in Burgersdorp.Earlier in the year the two professedtheir final vows at Fr. Joshua'shome parish. Bishop Michael Wustenbergwas the ordaining bishop.“It is important to have the ordinationin the home parish,” said Fr. PeterSurdel, SCJ, provincial superior of SouthAfrica. He also served as novice masterfor the two young priests. “It allows thelocal people to be a part of the celebration.The inspiration and support of avocation begins in the home parish. Wehave much to be thankful for in Fr.Ntsikelelo's parish; we want the peoplethere to be a part of the celebration.”Fr. Peter continued, noting that“This is a very exciting time for ourprovince and for the SCJs." The ordinationswill allow the province to returnto ministry at St. Theresa Mission inthe Diocese of Aliwal North, a ministrythe province had to give up five yearsago for lack of personnel. Fr. AnthonyAustin, a retired SCJ, will mentor thenew priests during their initial ministry.St. Theresa's is a large parish thatincludes a high school of 1,300 studentsand a clinic. The clinic is staffedby the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa.“God is very good to us,” said Fr.Peter. “In the parish half of the peoplespeak Sesotho and half speak Xhosa.One of our new priests speaks Sesothoand one speaks Xhosa. It isProvidence."After taking a bit of vacation timeto visit with family the new priestsstarted full-time ministry this month.The U.S. Province was one of thefounders of the South AfricanProvince. The U.S. Province continuesto assist South Africa financially, andwith personnel. Those who have recentlyserved South Africa include Fr.Charles Brown, SCJ, who alternates semestersof teaching between SouthAfrica and the United States, and Dr.Richard Lux, a professor at SacredHeart School of Theology, who spentthe first semester of the last academicyear living with the SCJ formationcommunity and teaching at St.Joseph’s Theological Institute inCedara.Devastation in Haiti,and close to homeThe people of Haiti have been inthe prayers of many since the nationsuffered a devastating earthquake inJanuary. Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho,SCJ, general superior, called on SCJsaround the world to help with relief efforts.“We are motivated by a spirit ofsolidarity that must characterize usSCJs,” he wrote.The U.S. Province has donated$20,000 toward relief. This is on top ofthe many fund-raising efforts takingplace in SCJ parishes and other ministriesin the United States.Close to home, disaster also hit thepeople of the Cheyenne RiverReservation in South Dakota who enduredsub-zero temperatures and highwinds without electricity, heat ordrinking water after a winter stormknocked out power lines.“There’s been winters this bad before,but not with rain so bad it freezesthe power lines and snaps the poles,”said Joseph Brings Plenty, the 38-yearold chairman of the Cheyenne RiverSioux tribe. The chairman was quotedin a Wall Street Journal article.The province has many connectionsto the reservation. For years, theSCJs had a pastoral team based inEagle Butte. The Sacred Heart Center,which includes a women’s shelter andadolescent program, continues to operatein Eagle Butte with funding fromSt. Joseph’s Indian School.Certainly a few days without elec-